Rich Roberts hasn’t used his kiln in a long while. For the Industrial Arts-turned-special education teacher, any sense of creativity he has goes to his work. And even though it’s work he cares about, it takes a toll.

“I had a health scare a couple of years ago, and it just made me think about how the stress of teaching affects me,” Roberts says. “I love Hudson County. I would love to stay, but at this point in my life I can’t really afford to buy.”